


hello, summer

by mypage



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: 2jae as brothers, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun - Freeform, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:27:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26775121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mypage/pseuds/mypage
Summary: If it was anyone else in the school, Jaemin will help Renjun out—like he always has in the years that they’ve been friends. Just, not with the current school year’s Head Boy, his older brother—Gryffindor Jaehyun.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Na Jaemin
Comments: 13
Kudos: 315





	hello, summer

**Author's Note:**

> i would like to say one thing before i proceed.... FUCK YOU JKR!!!!!!!! also. im sorry that this is a monologue. :')

“I am _not_ setting you up with my older brother, Renjun.” Jaemin punctuates his sentence with his quill slamming against the wooden table of the Great Hall, the ink from the tip of it splattering against his Defense Against the Dark Arts essay. The sound causes a couple of students nearby to look at them, looking curiously at the Slytherin-Ravenclaw duo.

The public attention doesn’t faze Renjun though. He only puts his stack of books down on the table, over Jaemin’s still drying essay as he sits down across him.

“Why not? It’s Jaehyun’s last year, Jaemin! You know I’ve never liked a boy this much before.”

If it was anyone else in the school, Jaemin will help Renjun out—like he always has in the years that they’ve been friends. Just, not with the current school year’s Head Boy, his older brother—Gryffindor Jaehyun.

Why?

He just doesn’t think he can handle seeing the best friend he has been in love with since they shared a train compartment in first year snogging his own blood brother.

Jaemin takes Renjun’s books one by one, stacking them on top of each other as he procures his essay from underneath the pile. “No, Renjun. I’m sorry but, I just _can’t._ I can't do it.”

Jaemin places the last book down, glances at the cover and then frowns up at Renjun. “Why are you still taking Arithmancy this year? I thought you dropped it?”

Renjun shakes his head, grabs his book and puts it on top of the pile. “Yup. I don’t know, I like my brain hurting. Anyway, is this a solid no or is it a no that I can bribe you into saying yes? Say, what if I get you date with Ryujin—”

“Ryujin likes girls, it doesn’t work that way. It’s really a no, Renjun.” Jaemin insists with the intention of ending the conversation there.

But when Renjun pulls the _pout_ on him, the big wide puppy eyes—Jaemin almost falls for it.

Just almost.

“Really, it’s a no?”

Jaemin grins sarcastically, rolling his essay up as he gathers his things. “Nope. Now excuse me as I do this essay elsewhere.”

He doesn’t know when Renjun started liking Jaehyun, or why he even started liking Jaehyun.

His brother has a lot of achievements under his belt, Head Boy, Gryffindor Chaser, a consistent top student in his year—he gets it, Jaehyun is the older brother that everyone wants to have.

Jaemin doesn’t think he’s trailing too far behind. He’s the Slytherin Seeker, the best Defense Against the Dark Arts student in his year, and captain of the Hogwarts Duelling Club only in his fifth year. He has something to brag about too.

But still, it’s Jaehyun that grabs Renjun’s attention.

He knows his brother is popular with everyone—the year he entered the school, he was nicknamed “Jaehyun’s brother” until he started to make a name for himself too. It doesn’t bother him, being related to Jaehyun—because he adores his older brother and looks up to him in a way.

He doesn’t mind that Jaehyun is popular, doesn’t mind living in his brother’s shadow despite doing his best to make a name for himself—the only thing he minds is the fact that Renjun likes Jaehyun.

He knows that Renjun likes Jaehyun, but it just doesn’t make sense to him _why._

If Jaemin was hopeless when it came to confessing to Renjun before he learned about his crush on Jaehyun, his chances now have become infinitesimal.

“What are you thinking about, Jaemin?” He doesn’t even realize his brother has come up to him in the library, poking at his cheek as he takes the seat next to him.

He’s been spending more time with himself since Renjun asked him to set him up with Jaehyun. And now that Jaehyun is here, Jaemin’s just even more confuddled.

“How did you even find me here?” Jaemin asks as he cleans up his things to make space for Jaehyun.

Jaehyun grabs his bag, pulling out books after books, parchment after parchment. “I just wanted to study. Plus, someone told me you seem pretty sulky lately. The school year has just started, what’s bothering you? Anything I can help you with?”

Jaemin shakes his head, unrolling his essay so he can continue working on it. “And who told you that?”

“That’s a secret,” Jaehyun smiles, his dimples appearing in his cheeks. He wonders if that’s a factor as to why Renjun has a crush on him. “So, you wanna talk about it?”

Jaemin clicks his tongue, opening his Potions book where he has left a dog-eared mark on his homework. Should he talk to Jaehyun about it? He’s just… _confused._ He knows he can talk to Jaehyun about anything—everything, but it’s different this time—when the source of his problem is _Jaehyun_ himself.

He doesn’t speak for a moment, only allowing his eyes to scan through his book as Jaehyun wordlessly begins his essay next to him.

“What will you do if someone you like likes someone else and they’re asking you to help them with that someone else?”

He can hear Jaehyun’s quick scribbling come to a pause, his quill setting down on the table as Jaehyun looks at him. Jaemin turns to look at his brother, his lips downturned in a frown. It’s a start contrast from the wide grin his older brother is sporting.

“My little brother is having love problems?”

Jaemin whines. “Hyung, please…”

Jaehyun throws an arm over him, squeezing his shoulder. “If it was me, I would help them out. After all, I think that my friend deserves to be happy with that person. But that is—if I really don’t have a chance with them. I think the ideal situation is to confess to them first, and if they don’t like you, do your best to help them with their crush.”

Jaemin groans internally. Why must his brother be such a Gryffindor? The answer doesn’t satisfy him, his need for self-preservation coming at the forefront.

“But, I doubt they don’t like you. Who the hell doesn’t like you?”

That does little to assure Jaemin of anything. He doesn’t have the blind positivity and sheer courage of his Gryffindor brother. This is why they’re put in different houses, they’re similar in so many ways but also holistically different.

Confessing? Then helping them out _once_ you get rejected? He’s nice, alright. But he thinks it’s kind of stupid.

Stupid Gryffindors and their bravery and chivalry or whatever that is on their crest.

Jaemin sighs and shakes his head. “That won’t work for me. He _really_ doesn’t like me.”

Jaehyun makes a sound of interest, tilting his head to the side. “Do I know him?”

Jaemin’s hand that holds his quill twitches.

“Oh, I _know_ him.”

He ignores his brother and continues writing on his parchment, barely making sense of the words he’s scribbling into the paper.

“Is it Donghyuck?”

“Hyung!” He almost yells but manages to catch himself in time so that Madam Lustre doesn’t kick them out of the library.

Jaehyun chuckles. “Okay. Not Donghyuck. Is it Jeno?”

Jaemin continues writing.

“Not Jeno, then.” Jaehyun concludes.

Jaemin is writing furiously into his parchment, because with every guess that comes out of Jaehyun’s mouth, he gets one more second closer to the truth. He doesn’t know how he’ll feel if he really says his name—

“Is it Renjun?”

Jaemin’s quill falls away from his hand, rolling away to the floor, causing the metal tip of it to clatter against the marble.

Well, fuck.

Jaemin bends down to pick up his fallen quill, avoiding eye contact with his brother at all costs. When he doesn’t hear any protest from Jaemin, Jaehyun pats his back.

“Don’t worry, little brother. I think I can help you with that.”

Horror floods Jaemin’s veins, reminds him of the time he first saw a ghost severe its limbs right in front of him as a first year.

This is _not_ what he wanted. But he doesn’t tell Jaehyun no though, afraid of digging a deeper hole for himself if he ever speaks up on it.

_Oh no._

“Raise your wand higher, Jisung. And Chenle, make your stance wider than shoulder width apart. Good. See? That went way better this time.”

Being the captain of the Dueling Club means that Jaemin tutored a lot of the younger students on how to grapple with their Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons better. He’s only in his fifth year, and there’s still so much to learn for him but he’s more than willing to share what he knows. He gets a lot of help from the older students of the club like Sicheng and Roseanne, but since he’s the captain, he needs to be a lot more hands-on.

Their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Professor Wu, drops by sometimes to help around but most of the time, it’s just collaborative effort from all the members.

With Renjun still bothering him about Jaehyun and with Jaehyun now knowing he has feelings for Renjun, Jaemin spends most of his time with the club—even though he already spends so much time with them.

He hopes that Jaehyun has forgotten about his admission, with his brother’s schedule being hectic lately. But then again, Jaehyun is always on top of his schedule, with little to no backlogs. Hence, even if it seems like Jaehyun has forgotten about something because he hasn’t talked about it for a while, Jaehyun remembers.

Jaemin is proven right when the door to the classroom they’re practicing in pushes open. They have about fifteen members, including him, present for today’s meeting. Everyone turns to look at the door, gasping and murmuring when they see the Gryffindor Head Boy enter the room.

“Hi everyone! How’s it going?” Jaehyun greets the room with his prince-like smile, waving at everyone as he makes his way to Jaemin. Everyone is interested in seeing him here, but Jaemin really just wants to sink down to the floor to escape whatever it is that Jaehyun wants to do with him.

He knows his brother very well, and with the look on his face, he can already tell that this is about Renjun.

Jaemin slinks back down on the table he’s sitting on, crossing his arms over his chest tightly. Jisung and Chenle are looking at him, waiting for instructions. He waves the younger Ravenclaw and Slytherin away, urging them to continue practice as Jaehyun reaches him.

“Everyone, continue with the practice please. If you have any questions, please address it with me later.” Jaemin announces, and just like that, everyone’s scrambling to get back to duelling.

Someone says _expelliarmus_ wrong and there’s an explosion and a wand flying in the background. Jaemin pays it no mind. Jaehyun is right in front of him now.

“Hey, everything alright?”

Jaemin nods and responds in a hushed tone. “Yep. Interested in joining the club, hyung?”

Jaehyun laughs lightly and shakes his head. “Is Sicheng still here?”

Jaemin raises a brow. “He’s still a member, but all of our senior members have been too busy lately. Why do you ask, hyung?”

Pink dusts the apples of Jaehyun’s cheeks, and the gears in Jaemin’s head are _turning._ Could it possibly be…?

“Nothing.” Jaehyun retracts quickly, clearing his throat. “I just came here to tell you to free your schedule this Saturday. The entire day.”

Jaemin crosses his arms tighter over his chest. Worry starts to settle in him, wonders if it’s a family thing. His eyes dart around the room and he pulls Jaehyun in closer by the elbow. “Do we have to talk about this in private?”

Jaehyun pauses, realizes the implications of his request. “No, not at all. It’s not _that_ kind of matter. Just promise me you’ll be free the entire Saturday?”

“Okay,” Jaemin sighs, running his hand through his hair, “fine, I’ll be free this Saturday. But…”

Jaehyun raises his brow. “But?”

“But you have to join us for today’s session, teach us a little something, hyung.”

Jaehyun can’t help the grin on his face. “Sure.”

In a surprising turn of events, it’s Renjun who tells him _what_ is happening on Saturday.

He’s descending to the Slytherin dungeons when he feels someone crash land against his back, arms wrapping around his middle and he whips around in an instinct to defend himself. He almost pushes the intruder down to the ground but pauses midway when he sees it’s Renjun smiling from ear to ear.

“Jaemin! Where have you been?”

Jaemin fumbles a little, realizing how close they are, realizing the grip he has on Renjun’s shoulders. Renjun isn’t letting go though, so he gently pushes him away to make some distance between Renjun and his beating heart.

“I was with the Dueling Club. Why?”

“Oh.” Renjun nods in understanding, fixing his robe. “Well, anyway! Jaehyun asked me out. Did you tell him anything?” Renjun’s eyes are shining when he speaks, bouncing on his toes with excitement.

Jaemin’s heart makes a 60-foot drop to his stomach. “He… what?”

He doesn’t understand what’s going on. Why would Jaehyun ask Renjun out when he _knows_ he likes him? What is going on?

“He asked me if I’m free on Saturday and I said yes! He said there’s this study thing and he wants to have tea while studying. He thought it’ll be nice if I come with since I was your friend. He also said you’ll be there. Did you tell him anything?”

Then, it clicks.

Jaehyun is asking him to free up his schedule this Saturday because he asked Renjun to have tea together. Now, on the other hand, Renjun thought that Jaehyun asked him out on a date. In reality, Jaehyun is setting Renjun up with him.

Oh, goodness.

Jaemin shakes his head, swallowing hard. “No, I didn’t tell him anything.”

Renjun tilts his head to the side in confusion. “Hm? You didn’t? That’s weird… why would he ask me out to hang out with you guys?”

“I…” Jaemin opens his mouth to say something, the silence hangs for a few seconds. “I don’t know… but I can cancel it if you want?”

“No!” Renjun refuses vehemently, stomping his foot. Jaemin tries not to smile at how cute he is. “I want to… hang out with Jaehyun, and you! It’ll be fun… I think.”

Jaemin exhales. “Why do you even like him so much? You’ve liked him since what… last year?”

Renjun blushes at the question. “Y-yeah… since last year…”

“And?”

“He’s handsome. And he seems really nice, I know he’s your brother but… it’s okay that I like him, right?”

Jaemin raises a brow at that, steps forward just a little into Renjun’s space. Renjun leans back but doesn’t step away. “Am I not handsome?”

“W-what?”

In the dim lighting of the dungeon halls, the moonlight filters into the windows slightly. It’s enough for Jaemin to see the flustered expression on Renjun’s face. He leans forward even more, head tilting to the side as he furrows his brows together. “So?”

Renjun blinks, puts his hands over Jaemin’s chest. He doesn’t push him away. “You’re handsome too.”

“But?”

Renjun pushes him this time, breaking the thin sheen of tension that formed over them for a quick moment. “But you’re my best friend! It’s weird if I crush on you, right? Plus! He’s older, I like older guys.”

Jaemin’s laughter echoes in the dungeon halls. Renjun, although still unsure, laughs with him too. “Yeah, of course. You like older guys. It’ll be weird. Yeah.”

Renjun smiles and pushes him slightly with his shoulder. “You almost had me worried there. Thought you had a crush on me or something.”

Jaemin catches himself just in time before he freezes up. He clenches and unclenches his fist, shaking his head. “You _wish,_ Huang. Anyway. I’ll be there on Saturday.”

Renjun beams. “Okay! I know that you didn’t ask Jaehyun, but still—thank you. It means a lot.”

“Anytime.”

Saturday comes sooner than he expected.

Their classes bleed together in quick succession, the Dueling Club practices seems to go faster whenever they have them. Time proceeds quickly when Jaemin doesn’t want it to go. Never has Jaemin dreaded a weekend like this.

Time is not his friend, it seems.

“What are you dressing up for?” Donghyuck, his roommate and friend asks from his four-poster, pushing the green silk hangings away as he scrambles to get up.

Jaemin has traded the usual set of green and silver robes for a powder blue button up and black jeans. He doesn’t really know why he’s dressing up for today when he knows there’s no need to. It’s just Renjun and Jaehyun, but _still,_ he wants to.

Jaemin doesn’t pay Donghyuck any mind.

“Nothing.” He says, checking himself out in the mirror and undoing the first two buttons of his shirt. It looks _too_ uptight all buttoned up like that. He likes it like this, relaxed—fun.

Donghyuck stands next to him on the full-length mirror, swinging an arm over his shoulders. Donghyuck grins at their reflections at the mirror, raising his brow suggestively at Jaemin in particular. “You got a date don’t you?”

Jaemin elbows him at the rib. “You’re ridiculous. How can I have a date?”

Donghyuck stumbles backwards dramatically, holding his rib as he falls over onto Jaemin’s bed. “You’re all dressed up! You’re going to Hogsmeade aren’t you?”

Jaemin rolls his eyes and tucks his shirt into his pants. “Yeah, and what about it? I’m just going on some study session with Jaehyun hyung and Renjun.”

Donghyuck pushes himself up from Jaemin’s bed in record time. “Renjun and Jaehyun?”

“Yeah?”

His friend snickers, shaking his head. “That _fucking_ fox! He really used you to get to Jaehyun, huh?”

Jaemin smacks Donghyuck with a stray pillow. Donghyuck barely dodges. “Don’t talk about Renjun like that. It’s not like that, it’s _complicated.”_

Donghyuck grabs the pillow from him, pretends to hit him with it too but lets it fall back down on their roommate’s bed. “Fine. If you say it like that. But you have to tell me everything! I need to know how Renjun makes a fool out of himself in front of Jaehyun!”

“Can’t make any promises.” With that, Jaemin leaves their dormitory.

He arrives at Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop a few minutes before their said meeting time. Jaemin, honest to god, likes the place. It’s pink, and cute—and even though he doesn’t really look like it… he likes it when things are pink and cute.

The place is exactly to his taste, however—it’s more of a dating spot. It really isn’t the ideal place for a study session so he doesn’t know what the hell is going on in his brother’s mind. So much for being _subtle._

When he gets there, there’s Jaehyun already sitting around a table for four.

He wonders who else will be joining them today.

His brother waves at him, beckoning him over and Jaemin wades through the crowd of couples in the cramped space of the café.

“Really, hyung? You wanna study here?” He greets Jaehyun like that, sitting on the chair across his brother.

Jaehyun smiles at him, folding his hands over the table. “You know why we’re here!”

Jaemin grumbles, shaking his head. “What do you even have planned out for today? I can’t believe you asked Renjun…”

Jaehyun looks pretty satisfied with himself. “Anything for my little brother! I told you that I’ll do anything for you right? Although, it was pretty easy to get him to agree though. I thought it would be tougher. He was very eager, I’m telling you—he likes you.”

“I swear to you, hyung—” Jaemin shifts in his seat, “that’s not why he agreed so easily.”

Jaehyun raises his brow, but they both pause in their seats when someone approaches them. Jaemin doesn’t even have to look up from the table to know who he is. He can tell just by the incoming footsteps, he can tell just by the smell of his cologne—he knows who it is.

“Hi?” Renjun’s voice comes from right behind him. Jaemin turns to look at him and he really takes a moment to _look._

Just like him, Renjun is dressed up. It’s nothing compared to Jaehyun’s casual attire and Jaemin’s attempt to be presentable. Renjun is wearing a denim jacket over his Muggle-branded shirt, his dark hair styled so that some strands were falling over his forehead. He’s also wearing those glasses that he likes to wear, Jaemin isn’t even sure if it does something for Renjun’s vision. All he knows is that Renjun looks _really_ good.

He feels like he should’ve done something else with his hair too.

“Hi, Renjun!” Jaehyun greets. “Come here, sit next to Jaemin! We’re still waiting for one more person.”

Renjun smiles down at Jaemin as he takes the seat next to him. Stiffly, Jaemin offers a smile in return and scoots away a little to make space for Renjun.

“Who else are we waiting for?” Jaemin asks curiously once Renjun has settled, his bag on his lap.

As if to answer his question, someone else approaches them. Jaemin looks up immediately, the voice very familiar—he just did not expect for it to be him.

Although, thinking about it, it makes sense.

It’s Renjun that asks. “Sicheng ge? You’re here to study with us too?”

He doesn’t know yet why it makes sense, but there are links being connected and things falling into place. Jaemin glances at Jaehyun, raises a brow and he gasps inwardly when his brother averts his eyes, choosing to beam at Sicheng instead.

The older Slytherin nods at Renjun. “Yeah? Jaehyun invited me.”

Renjun blinks, looking at Jaemin in confusion and Jaemin can only shrug his shoulders in return. He is as lost as Renjun.

“Sit next to me, Sicheng.” Jaehyun offers boldly, and Jaemin’s eyes almost bulge out of their sockets.

Is his brother really flirting with Sicheng in front of them? His favorite senior?

It’s making sense to Jaemin, yet at the same time—it isn’t.

He watches Renjun carefully, who’s pretty sensitive to atmospheres like this and he feels his best friend’s mood dampen. Jaemin can’t help but feel guilty.

When Sicheng has settled next to Jaehyun, Jaehyun offers to get their orders for them so they list it off for them. Renjun is distracted now, just staring at his lap so Jaemin interjects—ordering Renjun’s favorite tea for him.

He nudges Renjun’s leg with his own, and Renjun smiles at him just a little.

This is going to be an awkward time.

They do study. Only for a little while, with Jaehyun and Sicheng discussing their upcoming tests and Renjun and Jaemin talking about their OWL exams. Renjun has been shifting uncomfortably the entire time and Jaemin doesn’t know how to make the situation more comfortable for him other than to discuss their OWL exams.

It seems like Jaehyun has everything planned out for today. He has really set him up with Renjun but with the circumstances of it all, Jaemin cannot bring himself to appreciate his brother's efforts.

"Hey," Jaehyun breaks the silence after a while, "I have to go get something from Dervish and Banges. Just for a really quick moment."

Everyone's eyes are on him, and Jaemin can see from the side of his eyes as Renjun stills from writing something on his parchment.

Sicheng clears his throat, already making a move to gather his things. "I'll come with you."

"Will you guys be okay just by yourselves?" Jaehyun asks him, and he can almost see his brother wink at him.

Jaemin tries to not roll his eyes. He'll definitely have to castigate his brother later for this but for now—he lets him go so as to not prolong the painful awkward tension.

"Yeah, yeah. Renjun and I will be fine. We'll get back to the castle before curfew." Jaemin dismisses them. Jaehyun practically jumps out of his seat and on their way out, he can see Jaehyun slip his hand with Sicheng's.

His brother is not slick at all.

Jaemin returns to his book and tea, with full intention to pretend that whatever happened today did not happen, but Renjun is sighing deeply next to him.

"You okay?" Jaemin asks.

Renjun shakes his head. "No... my crush just flirted with his crush in front of me. Why would I be okay? I'm so confused..."

Renjun sounds genuinely upset, and although Jaemin can't relate, because he is used to his crush flirting with others—he still wants to comfort Renjun.

That's his thing, isn't it? He'll always push away everything, drop anything and move past anyone just so he can make Renjun feel better—even if it's the expense of his own feelings.

It's what he gets for being so foolishly head over heels.

"I'm sorry." Jaemin says, although he doesn't know what he's even apologizing for. In a way, it's his fault, isn't it? He wonders if things would turn out differently if he had just agreed to be Renjun's wingman. Would he feel less like an asshole? Would Jaehyun take it well?

Renjun inhales, then exhales. "It's fine. It's not your fault." Renjun closes his book and starts stuffing his things back into his bag. "I'll just get over him. It's absolutely fine."

Jaemin blinks at Renjun's resolve. "You're just going to get over him like that?"

Renjun nods. "Yeah! I mean... yeah... he's handsome, talented, smart... but there's plenty of fish in the sea! If he invited me here just to shove in my face that he's taken—I don't have to waste my time. No offense, by the way."

Jaemin presses his lips together. "Yeah, there's no offense taken here."

Renjun continues to pack his things, grabs his teacup and chugs down all of its contents. Jaemin watches him curiously, his brow raising as he looks at him up and down.

"What are you waiting for?" Renjun asks.

"Nothing. I'm going to study."

Renjun isn't taking that for an answer. "Your best friend just got his heart broken, and you're going to study? _Come on,_ Jaem!" Renjun whines, grabbing him by the arm and shaking him.

Jaemin exhales.

He's whipped after all.

He starts to pack his things up too, and it brings a certain light to Renjun's face. "Fine. I'm going with you."

"Thank you." Renjun beams. "This is why I _love_ you!"

Jaemin almost collapses, but catches himself just in time.

Whipped, after all.

Renjun gets over Jaehyun, just like that.

At least that’s what he tells him and the entirety of his friend group. He tells them that he’s moved past that era of his life, has erased all traces of Jaehyun in his heart and that he’s genuinely happy for Sicheng and Jaehyun.

Though, Jaemin doesn’t fully believe that. When the conversation has lulled and there is only silence between them, Renjun still sometimes whispers to him and asks how Jaehyun has been.

Jaemin tells him the truth. “He’s been with Sicheng.”

And really, that just shuts Renjun up for the rest of the afternoon.

Jaehyun has confessed to him that he has been _seeing_ Sicheng for a couple of weeks now and he wanted to have a cute double date that time. Jaemin rolls his eyes at his brother. He doesn’t know if Renjun will appreciate him telling Jaehyun about how he really feels for him now that the situation is like this.

He tells his brother that it’s fine, he appreciates his efforts but he tells him to just leave it alone to him. He can handle himself.

Jaehyun understands, but still offers his help in whatever way he can.

Jaemin doesn’t think he’ll ask Jaehyun for any help regarding Renjun any time soon but he appreciates the sentiment. It’s in his older brother’s nature to offer help.

In the meantime, Renjun has been hanging out with Jaemin quite frequently these days. Jaemin has figured that it’s Renjun’s way of moving on, being always surrounded by people. And because the only other Ravenclaw in their friend group is Jisung, who’s a busy fourth year and has his own friends within his year, Jaemin is the next best option.

Then again, he doesn’t think that Jisung will accompany Renjun to the Astronomy tower way past curfew just to watch the stars and admire the moon. Jisung has always been a good, law-abiding student, and Jaemin… well… he is too, but Jaemin is in love with Renjun.

Unfortunately for him, he’ll always go along with Renjun’s ideas, even if they are bad ideas.

“It’s cold.” He says, shuddering as they climb into the tower. It’s completely empty, save for the two of them, the enormous telescopes and the astronomical charts. Jaemin isn’t too fond of Astronomy, but he knows that it’s Renjun’s favorites. Perhaps coming up here can help him ease out a little bit.

“I brought some eiderdowns from the Ravenclaw tower?” Renjun reveals the thick bundle in his hands and shrugs his shoulders bashfully. “It’s not enough, you should’ve brought a coat.”

Jaemin rolls his eyes but walks to where Renjun is and grabs the duvet that has been drowning him. “You invited me up here. I expected you would have been more prepared.”

Renjun pushes him from behind just slightly, following him as he finds a spot in the tower. “It’s not like it’s a _date,_ I just needed to hang out.”

Jaemin freezes at the mention of a date. He knows that it _isn’t_ a date—he’s not that delusional. But, if you put all the technicalities together, just the two of them in a traditionally romantic spot—in the middle of the night with no adult supervision… isn’t this a date?

He shakes his head, clears his mind. He’s here to accompany his friend, best friend. That is all.

They find a spot in the crook of the tower, somewhere they can see the stars and the moon clearly and somewhere they can hide easily should anyone come up and check. They set down the eiderdown, and Renjun crawls into his space eagerly.

Jaemin sits next to him, sitting cross legged on the soft blanket. He feels Renjun close to him, their arms brushing against each other, knees and thighs overlapping their spaces.

It’s so _peaceful,_ and when Jaemin thinks of the Astronomy tower, all he thinks of is heated debate and long winding lectures about how stars are charted and the different phases of the moon. He’s already dozing off thinking about it, but he gets jolted out of his daze when he feels Renjun’s head rest against his own.

Jaemin hears his heart _lub dub_ in his ribcage, and with how close Renjun is to him, he fears that he can hear how his heart beats for him.

“M’sorry.”

Jaemin wonders if it’s just the air around them, or if he really did just hear Renjun apologize.

“What did you say?” He asks, a lilt in the tone of his voice as he smirks down at Renjun. “Did you say sorry?”

Renjun nudges his head against Jaemin’s shoulder, and if he looks hard enough, he can see the pout on Renjun’s face. “Don’t make fun of me. I said sorry.”

“While I appreciate the gesture,” Jaemin says, scooting closer to Renjun so it’s more comfortable for him to rest his head on his shoulder, “why are you saying sorry?”

There’s silence for a few seconds, just the sound of the breeze around them and the heavy beating of his heart.

“I’m sorry, for being clingy the past few days… I know you’re busy too, like all our other friends are, so I’m thankful that you’re staying by my side. And I’m sorry for taking up all your time too. I guess I just wanted to feel wanted, to feel like people like me, you know?”

Jaemin swallows hard. Truth to be told, he likes it when Renjun is clingy—he likes it when Renjun is always asking for his attention, dragging him to places and being around him all the damn time. Although he can’t concentrate because of distracted he is all the time, he likes it too much to complain.

Though, he knows that this roots from heartbreak too—and he can’t be completely happy about that.

“It’s okay.” Jaemin croaks out, hesitantly lifting his hand so that he can pet Renjun’s hair. Renjun makes a sound of satisfaction when his fingers meet his scalp, massaging there slightly and Jaemin can literally feel his stomach doing flips.

God, he is so far gone that it’s ridiculous.

“It’s what friends are for, right?”

He feels Renjun nod against him, and, for awhile—silence envelops them once more.

Now that he thinks about—Jaehyun and Sicheng have only been seeing each other for weeks. If he just said something earlier, perhaps something could have occurred… something could have happened. “I’m sorry.” Jaemin blurts, making Renjun look up at him in surprise.

Renjun sniffles, pulling his robes closer to his body. “Why are you saying sorry?”

Jaemin chew on the inside of his cheeks, thinks of the proper words to express his apologies. “Because… I didn’t set you up with Jaehyun? Maybe if I said something, he could have made a move? You’re completely likeable, Renjun. There’s a lot of things to like about you.”

 _There’s a lot of things to like about you._ And, if Jaemin isn’t careful, he might just start listing them all out right in front of him.

Renjun chuckles, then pulls away enough to look at Jaemin. He’s smiling again, a smile that reaches his eyes and Jaemin can’t help but be captivated. “Hah. It’s fine, really. There’s no way I would’ve had a chance. Did you know?”

Jaemin raises a brow. “Know what?”

“Wait… you didn’t?”

“What... tell me…”

Renjun huffs, pouting. “I talked to Sicheng ge for a bit and he ended up telling that he has been _seeing_ your brother for the better half of the year.”

 _Better half of the year._ Jaehyun only told him that he’s been dating Sicheng for weeks. Why would his brother lie to him? “What?”

Renjun gasps, hesitation and regret painting themselves in his expression. “Oh… shit, maybe I shouldn’t have said that?”

Jaemin runs a hand through his hair, shakes his head in disbelief and exhales his laughter. “Wow. No, he told me he has been seeing him for weeks. That’s fine you know, but I didn’t know he had actually been seeing him for _months_ now. Why would he lie to me?”

“Maybe they don’t have the exact day of their anniversary? I’m sorry.” Renjun says sheepishly.

“No, it’s not your fault. I just need to talk to my brother, I guess? I never would have thought that he would have kept something so personal to me. But yeah, maybe they just don’t have the dates right. Geez, what a mess.” Jaemin groans. Relationships can be messy, difficult—but there’s only one person in the world that Jaemin will willingly go through it all for.

And he’s right here next to him.

They’re quiet for another minute, then Renjun nudges him with his elbow. There’s a wicked grin on his lips, and Jaemin’s eyebrow raises to his hairline at the implication of his expression. “Yeah… so… you think I’m likeable?”

Jaemin physically feels the air in his lungs be knocked out. Nervous, throat dry and voice trembling, Jaemin responds. “Of course.”

Renjun is smiling up at him, his big pupils reflecting the twinkling stars. Renjun leans forward, his hand pressed against Jaemin’s thigh. He’s _too_ close.

“What are you doing?” Jaemin asks, steeling his resolve.

“Just wanted to see if you’re telling the truth.”

“So?”

“You are telling the truth.”

Jaemin scoffs, pushes Renjun’s hand away from his thigh because the longer he feels the pressure there, the closer he is to internal combustion. It’s for the best. “Why would you think I’m lying about that? You’re likeable… everyone likes you! Jisung likes you, Jeno likes you, Donghyuck likes you, Chenle likes you!”

Renjun blinks, shifts a little to place his hand on Jaemin’s knee instead.

“Do you like me?”

There’s the million-dollar question. A question that haunts Jaemin in his greatest nightmares. He’s always had nightmares about Renjun asking him this question, prying the truth right out of his tongue and exposing him to the very core. But it’s not what he expected, at least not like _that._ But the truth is, in any way and in any shape, Jaemin likes Renjun. That is all there is to it.

Jaemin maintains the eye contact, struggles to, even. “Would I be freezing in this tower with you if I didn’t like you? Of course, I like you.”

There’s a satisfied smile in Renjun’s face, and he backs up slowly. Jaemin feels like he can breathe again. “That’s good enough for me.”

In the myriad of classes and extracurricular activities, the semester has ended just like that. He doesn’t even know where the time has gone. They took their OWLs and can finally enjoy a nice summer vacation until their results are sent to them.

The semester has been unexpectedly fun. Renjun has genuinely gotten over Jaehyun, he can now talk to Jaehyun without stuttering, he even teases Jaehyun and Sicheng about their developing relationship.

Speaking of that, Jaemin has managed to clear up with Jaehyun that he didn’t lie to him—technically. Because he _did_ get their anniversary wrong and his brother even thanks him for the heads-up.

Gryffindor men are helpless.

More than anything, something about his semester has made Jaemin and Renjun grow… _closer._

Of course, they’re best friends—they’re supposed to be close.

But things shifted just slightly after that night in the Astronomy tower.

They spend more time together, which is usual, but it’s different—somehow. They study together, go to Hogsmeade together to buy some supplies or just have tea at Madam Puddifoot’s. Their Astronomy tower nights are a constant now too, and if there are _almost kisses_ in between those nights, that’s something that will forever be kept within the walls of the tower.

Well, unless.

As they pack for the ride back to London, Jaemin opens up to Donghyuck.

“Is this your robe? I can’t tell.” Donghyuck says, fishing a dirty robe from the floor and stuffing it into his trunk. “Might be mine. I’ll just mail it to you over the summer if it turns out to be yours.”

“It’s yours.” Jaemin says, closing his trunk. “I don’t have dirty laundry.”

Donghyuck shrugs. “If you say so.”

Jaemin sits by the foot of his bed, arms crossed as he mindlessly kicks at his closed trunk. Eventually, it works, and it annoys Donghyuck.

“Stop kicking your trunk.” Donghyuck says, locking his trunk and then sitting on top of hit. He looks up at Jaemin, then exhales. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, fine… just… I’ve been thinking.”

Donghyuck laughs. “I’d be surprised if you don’t. People usually think, you know?”

“This is serious.” Jaemin insists, deadpanning.

Donghyuck bites down his smile. “Okay, shoot. What do you want to talk to about?”

Jaemin inhales deeply. The only person he has opened up about Renjun is his own blood brother. And, while Jaehyun is more than willing to offer his ears and his advices, he really doesn’t want Jaehyun’s advice after _that_ incident.

And, by sharing it with Donghyuck, someone from their immediate friend group—it feels realer, feels like it bears weight and it’s his reality. He likes Renjun.

“I want to ask Renjun out.”

Donghyuck stares at him for a few seconds, unblinkingly. Almost like he doesn’t understand what he’s saying. “So?”

“So? That’s all you have to say?”

Donghyuck shrugs. “I guess? Why are you telling me this? It’s obvious something has been going on with you and Renjun. Chenle and Jisung almost started a bet on if you and Renjun were dating.”

“You guys are betting on us?”

“Almost! Jeno scolded them, I was egging them on. I wanted to see who wins.”

Jaemin plops backwards on his bed, arms outstretched as he stares at the ceiling.

How come all of their friends? Has he been that obvious? Does Renjun know?

He feels the bed dip next to him, and when he turns, there’s Donghyuck sitting right next to him. “Don’t think so much about it. Renjun’s not stupid, he knows what’s going on between the two of you. Are you going to do something over the summer break? Are you going to confess now?”

Jaemin pushes himself up from the bed, sitting so that he’s facing Donghyuck. “I’m… I’m not sure, I just want to let him know I like him. I like him _so_ much. When he had his Jaehyun hyung phase—it was so awkward…”

Donghyuck tries to hold back his laughter but fails. “Looks like Renjun has a penchant for your genes, huh?”

“Please don’t say that ever again.”

Donghyuck pushes him by the shoulder. “I’m just kidding! Why don’t you visit him down at his family’s apothecary? He works there during the summer, doesn’t he?”

Jaemin takes the idea into consideration. It will be nice. He doesn’t want to spend the entire summer vacation at his family’s manor. And perhaps spending a couple of days at Renjun’s place will be the best way to tie up the vacation.

“That’s a great idea.”

Donghyuck grins. “Of course it is. Goodluck, Jaemin. I’m really rooting for you. I’m happy for you, genuinely.”

Jaemin can’t help the warmth that spreads through him. “Thank you, Hyuck.”

The King’s Cross station is as busy as it gets.

Jaemin didn’t get the chance to talk with Renjun during the entire train ride, because he sits with his brother during the ride back home. So, hauling his trunk with him, Jaemin tiptoes over the crowd of similarly dressed students to find Renjun.

It’s easy though, because Jaemin can find Renjun anywhere. Like some kind of tunnel vision.

“Renjun!” He calls out to Renjun, who’s engaged in a what appears to be an uncomfortable conversation with another Ravenclaw. It’s a familiar face, but Jaemin doesn’t really pay attention to people that don’t matter. Now though, as he watches Renjun let out an uncomfortable laugh, Jaemin burns the stranger’s face in his brain.

Immediately as he approaches, Renjun’s face lights up at the sight of him.

“Jaemin!” Renjun practically exhales in relief, running up to him and leaving his trunk behind. Jaemin pauses, eyeing the stranger suspiciously as he wraps an arm around Renjun’s shoulders.

“Everything okay?” Jaemin asks, eyebrows furrowing at the stranger who is still hanging around.

Renjun nods, but his eyes say otherwise. “Yes! I was just talking to Luke here…”

Luke, the stranger, has gained some new sort of confidence. “So, Renjun? What do you say? Can we go out on a date this summer?”

Jaemin’s eyes widen at that, his heart dropping to his stomach and he feels a physical ache in his chest. This is the manifestation of his greatest fear, someone asking Renjun out right in front of him—and he can’t even say _anything._ Jaemin is staring at Luke, looking him up and down. What does Luke have that he doesn’t? He doesn’t even know _who_ Luke is until today, there’s no way he has the audacity to do… whatever this is.

“No, we can’t.” Renjun says resolutely, hugging Jaemin from the side. “I’m going to spend the summer with Jaemin. Sorry.”

It takes a while before either Luke or Jaemin understands what Renjun means by that. There’s a striking difference in their reactions though.

“Oh,” Luke says, backing off. “Right. I get you. Sorry, I didn’t know. No offense meant.”

“None taken! Have a great summer, Luke!” Renjun interjects, beaming.

When Luke is out of earshot, Jaemin finally confronts Renjun. Truth to be told, his brain is still trying to fully _digest_ what Renjun means by that.

“Uh,” he grunts, “what?”

“What, you don’t want to spend the summer with me?” Renjun looks up at him, playfully batting his eyelashes at him and Jaemin shoves his face away with his entire palm.

There are a lot of questions. Why was Luke asking him on a date? Why did Renjun disagree and even pulled him as an excuse? Or perhaps Renjun is really planning on spending the summer with him?

“I was just going to ask you if I can come visit you. I don’t like being in the manor.”

Renjun blinks, then smiles slowly. “Sure. When will you come?”

“Maybe, a week before the summer vacation ends? We can go to Diagon Alley and King’s Cross together.” He offers, wonders if Renjun will agree and wonders if it’s too much time to be spending with him. There’s hesitation, but Jaemin tears through it and lets it all out.

Renjun hums. “How about two weeks? I can show you around our town, how to work the apothecary, and the greenhouse! You’ve always wanted to see the greenhouse, right? Oh, and my mom would love to have you over.”

Renjun sounds eager, excited. And with that look on his face and with the promise of spending time exclusively with Renjun, who can even say no to that? Certainly not Jaemin.

The universe is oddly going his way. He doesn’t question it, doesn’t complain—he has nothing but appreciation for how things are turning out.

Can he really look forward to the coming summer?

“Sure, I’ll stay for two weeks.”

Summer in their manor is boring.

Other than his immediate family and their house elves, there isn't really enough to entertain him there. Sure, teasing his brother about his forming relationship with Sicheng is entertaining for quite some time but Jaehyun is leaving soon too for further studies. He doesn’t want to work on his summer assignment either. It's too easy, he can just finish it anytime.

They have a huge field in the manor where they can practice Quidditch, and Jaehyun spent a lot of his days there. Jaemin likes practicing Quidditch too, but there isn't much anything that can entertain him when all he's looking forward to is meeting Renjun.

His parents aren't very fond of the idea of him leaving early before the next semester starts, but Jaemin is persistent enough. Soon, he finds himself in front of the Huang Apothecary, in a village that's a portkey away from their manor. Renjun lives in the southern edge of the country, while their manor is way up to the north. He's very thankful for instant transportation.

The apothecary isn't intimidating per se, but the promise of what it holds and who lives there makes Jaemin tremble all over. He has his trunk with him, ready for their departure to Hogwarts in two weeks and it's all that's really giving him strength.

He lugs his trunk into the apothecary, with a lot of struggle and a lot of effort. The wind chimes above his head on the door makes a sound, and he jumps in his place when someone from the counter greets him.

"Welcome to Huang's... how can I help you?" The girl on the counter looks up slowly, and Jaemin smiles at her in recognition. But, it has been so long ago that he doubts she remembers him.

"Soojung!" Jaemin greets. "Hi, I'm here for Renjun? Is he around?"

Soojung raises her brow, perhaps in recognition. Jaemin met Soojung during their first year in Hogwarts. She's with Renjun the first time he had to go to Hogwarts along with the rest of his family. As he has learned, she's not a blood relative—but with the amount of time she's spent as Renjun's mom's apprentice—she might as well be Renjun's older sister.

"Stay here." She says, putting her quill down and then exiting through the backdoor.

Jaemin nods his head. He has only met her a couple of times in the past, but something about her always wants Jaemin to behave—wants to impress her so that she approves of him. He feels quite silly standing in the middle of the apothecary with his back fully straight.

A couple of minutes pass before the backdoor opens again, and with it, it reveals Renjun. He's in casual muggle clothing, a shirt and a pair of sweatpants. He looks so pretty and Jaemin can't take his eyes off of him.

"Jaemin!" Renjun says, crossing the counter to get to where Jaemin is. "You're here!"

"Of course. I promised, two weeks before—"

Jaemin gets cut off when a pair of arms wrap over his shoulders, pulling him in a tight hug and he responds by wrapping his arms around Renjun's waist. He's filled with warmth that even summer cannot bring. It's _something_ so different, vibrant and vivid and filling him with everything he has ever craved for in the weeks that he spent in the manor.

Maybe it's just Renjun.

"Good. Come inside. Did you meet Soojung? She's so nice isn't she? I'll show you to your room!"

The apothecary is the front door to Renjun's house. The backdoor leads to a storage area, where shelves upon shelves of magical and medicinal herbs are on display. There are labels on the shelves, but Renjun is tugging him forward.

When they reach the exit, the door reveals a grassy compound. To the right is a three-storey house, and across it, is the greenhouse that Jaemin has always been curious about. It must be the place where the family grow all their herbs and plants.

They go to the house first, so that Jaemin can change into more comfortable clothing.

("I'm comfortable!"

"You're wearing a three-piece suit. How is that comfortable?")

His room is on the third floor—right across the hall from Renjun's room. He hasn't met his mom or his dad yet because Renjun says they were in the town to buy some groceries for his stay. He's a bit bashful, knowing they're preparing so much for his visit here and feels slightly guilty for staying over for half a month.

But then again, Renjun offered and he can never really say no to him.

"So," Renjun says, watching as he unpacks his trunk and loads it into the closet cleaned up just for him, "what do you think so far?"

"About what?" Jaemin asks, taking his clothes out and neatly stashing it into the closet. He turns to Renjun, tilting his head to the side.

"Of the best room in the house. I got it cleaned up for you because the view here in the morning is very nice."

Jaemin closes his trunk and pushes it to the side next to the closet once he has filed the final article of clothing into the shelves. "Is it?"

"Yeah." Renjun nods. "It's really nice too, the view at night. It almost reminds me of the Astronomy tower. But of course, the altitude there doesn't compare to the third floor of my house. But the stars are very viewable from your window."

Jaemin walks over to the window in question. It's a wide window, enough to let the light in and there's a blue curtain draped over it in the case he doesn't want to let the light in.

The view is immaculate. It’s a perfect spot to view the entire compound. It’s more beautiful than anything the manor can offer. He adores his family, adores their house elves that have raised him as if their own—but something about Renjun’s home feels more homely.

He clears his throat, then turns to Renjun to ask the question that’s been burning in his brain since they separated at King’s Cross. He’s sitting against the windowsill, facing Renjun who’s sitting on the bed.

“Hey, Renjun. I’m curious. You never told me why you said no to Luke asking you out on a date at King’s Cross. And why he was asking you on a date?”

Renjun stills, shoulders tensing and eyes blinking rapidly. He looks just slightly like a deer in headlights. Then, he regains his composure and smiles. “Didn’t I already tell you why?”

“Not really?” Jaemin tilts his head to the side curiously, unsure when Renjun told him something about it.

Renjun swallows visibly. “Luke confessed maybe… two weeks before the break? And I rejected him politely but I guess he was insistent.”

“You didn’t tell me?” Jaemin asks with a slight frown. It isn’t even that Renjun is obligated to tell him anything, he just expected that since the Jaehyun incident—something has shifted in their relationship.

“No, I didn’t tell you because he wasn’t that important.” Renjun says bluntly, crossing his arms over his chest.

There’s a moment of silence, just the both of them staring at their feet before Renjun walks over to Jaemin. When he’s right in front of him, Renjun holds him by the shoulders, shaking him slightly.

When Jaemin looks up, Renjun is smiling at him. “Really, I didn’t want you being burdened by another guy again. I wanted to spend the summer with you… that’s true. Not a lie or an excuse. I wanted to ask you before we left but it was pretty hectic. So, I’m glad we had the same idea. Besides, he’s not really my type… And… there’s something else too.”

There it is again, the loud _lub-dub_ of his heart when it comes to Renjun. Jaemin tries to steel himself, forces away the smile beginning to stretch his face but fails ultimately. “That is?”

Renjun reels from the question, steps away and jogs backwards to the door once asked. “I’ll tell you soon. For now, just rest okay? I’ll go back to downstairs to prepare some snacks for you!”

When Renjun closes the door behind him with a slam, Jaemin smiles to himself. This summer vacation is already looking up.

He meets Renjun’s parents and Soojung during dinner. They’re all warm to him, and Renjun’s mom especially has a lot of questions. Jaemin answers them all eagerly, his secret talent has always been winning over the hearts of parental figures, anyway.

Soojung is warmer than he thought, and he learns that she’s very fond of Renjun like a little brother. They tease each other over dinner and, if Jaemin is reading into things right, he has an inkling of what Renjun may be referring to earlier at his room.

He doesn’t want to jump into conclusions just yet, anyway.

After dinner, Jaemin plays board games with Renjun’s family. It’s been so long since the last time he’s played with family—and right here with Renjun, he feels right at home.

They don’t even notice how late it’s gotten, until Soojung says she has to go to bed for an early trip tomorrow. That’s the cue for the rest of the family to go to their bed.

He watches as Renjun gives his parents a hug to say goodnight, and Soojung flicks him on the forehead before she leaves for her room too. Renjun’s mom approaches him and gives him a hug too, and Jaemin really likes the homely feeling.

“C’mon, let’s get upstairs.” Renjun says when they’re the only ones left in the living room.

Jaemin nods and makes a start to walk upstairs, but Renjun pushes past him then grabs his hand—leading him up the stairs.

Jaemin’s heart leaps. Both at the sudden affection and the speed at which Renjun pulls him upstairs. He’s having a hard time to catch up, but he’s laughing all the way up.

Renjun halts suddenly when they’re on the landing, causing Jaemin to stumble over his feet as Renjun pauses.

“What?” Jaemin asks, raising his brows when he regains his balance with the help that Renjun’s hand provides.

“Goodnight,” Renjun says, beaming. “I’m just… really happy that you’re here. I hope you enjoy the rest of your time here?”

Jaemin blinks, glancing once at their intertwined fingers. “I don’t think I’ve had a happier summer vacation—and it’s only been a day.”

Renjun bites down his smile. “That’s good.”

“It is,” Jaemin agrees, then notices that Renjun seems like he is waiting for something—like something is lingering in the air and he really hopes he isn’t reading this wrong. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

That pulls Renjun out from his stupor, then shakes his head. He looks around for a bit, peeking at the stairs then steels himself. Jaemin notices the fist beside him, while his grip on his hand grows tighter.

“Is everything okay, Renjun?” He asks, concerned at the sudden tension in the room.

“I have to give you something. But you have to close your eyes.”

Jaemin raises a brow but closes his eyes in compliance anyway.

There are a lot of things that’s going through his mind once he closes his eyes. Will Renjun push him down the stairs? Will Renjun prank him? Will Renjun actually give him a gift? Will—

Any semblance of coherent thought is gone the moment he feels a pair of soft lips press against his cheek, just a centimeter away from the edge of his lips.

It lasts for barely a second, and when he opens his eyes, Renjun is running to his room and closing the door behind him in haste.

Jaemin smiles to himself, his hand coming up to touch the part of his cheek that Renjun kissed.

If it had been Donghyuck, he wouldn’t think much of it. But this is Renjun—who reels away from affection, who insists that they are just friend. This means something, something different—and everything that Jaemin never thought will happen is occurring.

It’s like a flower in spring, blooming slowly and opening its petals. Jaemin is blooming.

That night, Jaemin sleeps with a smile in his face.

The next day, Renjun takes Jaemin to man the apothecary with him. Soojung is on break, so she’s out of town for a few days before returning to her usual workdays.

Renjun isn’t bringing up the kiss from last night, but he’s been jumpy and bashful the entire day. Each time Jaemin’s hand would as much brush against his skin, Renjun will tense up. It’s kind of cute, Jaemin thinks. He likes teasing Renjun like this.

Now it’s just them by the counter, Renjun is going through the files of books and Jaemin is staring out of the window. It’s completely silent, but it’s not entirely uncomfortable either.

“Later,” Renjun pipes up, breaking the silence that has formed over the hour they’ve been sitting together. “I want to show you the greenhouse. Would that be fine?”

Jaemin nods, turning to look at Renjun with a smile. “Definitely fine by me.”

Renjun exhales audibly, like he’s nervous for something. It’s Jaemin that should be nervous, he’s planning to confess to Renjun right before the summer vacation ends but it’s Renjun that’s showing all kinds of nerves tonight. With the incident from last night, Jaemin’s confidence is skyrocketing—but he doesn’t truly believe it’s happening yet.

They spend the rest of the afternoon like that. Renjun expertly attends to the customers and asks Jaemin to climb up the shelves to get the herbs and other potions. He kind of misses being able to _accio_ everything.

Renjun tells him about different kinds of herbs and their effects. It’s not surprising that Renjun is their year’s best Herbology student. He grew up in this kind of environment, after all.

When Renjun’s mom comes into the apothecary to cover the shift, Renjun bounds off excitedly back to the house. Renjun tells him to wear something nice before they head down to the greenhouse and yeah—that’s totally not suspicious at all.

Not one to be bested, Jaemin dresses well. And, prepares well. During the weeks he spent at the manor, Jaemin prepared a gift for Renjun—to be presented to him when he confesses. Whether Renjun accept his confession or not.

It’s a glass ball, and when one whispers the word “luna” to it, it’ll light up like the moon—reflecting the current phase of the moon. Jaemin knows how much Renjun likes celestial beings, the stars and the moon itself—it reminds him a lot of their astronomy tower dates and he hopes that the message will get across.

He puts it in its box, and hides it behind him when he exits his room all dressed up. Renjun didn’t say anything about the concept—so he has pulled out his best muggle clothes and hoped for the best.

Unrequited love has always been tricky and complicated. In the years that Jaemin has loved Renjun without being loved back, he has learned to accept his fate. That, even though he has poured out all his love and effort and attention for Renjun—his feelings will never be returned. He doesn’t resent Renjun for not loving him back, it’s not his fault anyway. It has always been Jaemin’s sole responsibility that he fell for his best friend. And really, it’s been long since Jaemin has taken responsibility for his own feelings.

The Jaemin of the past has always thought that his love for Renjun will never be reciprocated—that Renjun will always be the shining star that people will fall for, and that he’ll always be the best friend that gives way and says yes to Renjun’s every whim. That Renjun will always have other people to look at and he’ll only be the best friend that he tells his stories to.

He has lived in that bubble of unrequited love for so long, that the prospect of Renjun returning his feelings is something he has never imagined even in his wildest dreams.

Though, there are the rare times when reality is better than your dreams.

Renjun pulls him into the greenhouse, a bounce to his step. He’s wearing a loose shirt and shorts that went just above his knees. He’s dressed perfectly for the summer.

The greenhouse is immaculately well-kept. It’s bigger than it looks outside, with an extension charm keeping the place spacious. There are rows and rows of herbs and plants, both magical and mundane that fill the area. There is a fountain in the middle—with a floating statue of Renjun’s family crest in the middle.

“Are we going on a field trip?” He asks teasingly, holding the box behind him still. He wonders if Renjun has seen it. With how observant Renjun is, he probably already knows what he’s holding.

Jaemin isn’t one to lose to. With the kiss from last night, with how Renjun is acting—everything is just coming into place and he’s just not sure if he’s ready for everything to come together.

“No! I just wanted to show you the green house. That’s all.” Renjun continues to walk, until they reach the middle of the fountain. There’s a marble seat in the middle of it, with engravement in Chinese and Jaemin has the instinct to ask about it.

Renjun sits down, and he pats the space next to him for Jaemin to sit.

Jaemin obliges. “What does the engravement mean?”

“My parents’ names.” He answers, running his hand over the solid marble. “This was a wedding gift from my grandparents. They say that for as long as my parents stay in love, the fountain will be indestructible.”

“Oh,” Jaemin muses, “it must be a pretty special place, then?”

“It is. I mean, my dad doesn’t say a lot of things but he really loves mom. And mom loves him too—you know what I’m talking about.”

Jaemin laughs, teeth on display. “What are you talking about, exactly?”

The moment right now is like so delicate yet so strong. It’s like every single star collapsing all at once, like fireworks illuminating the dark sky—it’s so terrifyingly beautiful.

“Well… you know…” Renjun exhales nervously, rubbing his hands over his shorts. “Whatever I tell you, promise you won’t get mad?”

“When did I ever get mad at you?” Jaemin asks as a-matter-of-factly.

Renjun rolls his eyes and nods reluctantly. “You’re right. You don’t get mad at me. Sometimes, yeah, you do pretend to get annoyed but you still do it for me anyway.”

“Renjun,” Jaemin stops him in his speech, putting a hand on his knee and Renjun stills, “you can tell me anything right now and I won’t be mad at you. Just say it.”

Renjun inhales, then exhales. “It’s… I always fall for the idea of love. I love the idea of love that my parents share. I fall for the idea of people, and people always think they know who I am but they don’t. People only know me so superficially, but with you—it’s… I know you, more than anyone and you know me more than I know myself.”

“I guess, what I’m saying is that. In the past months, I’ve come to realize that I _like_ you. Not in the way that best friends are supposed to like each other, I like you—because you’re you. I’m not even crushing on the made-up version of you I have in my head because there’s none. I like who you are, and—if this is all too weird for you. I understand. But I just need to get it out there. I like you. I… love you.”

“Renjun,” Jaemin swallows, “I’m in love with you.”

Everything is so loud and silent at the same time. The blood rushing to his head is loud in his ears but Renjun is dead silent as he looks at him. He feels like he can burst into a thousand pieces in happiness. He wants to kiss Renjun square in the mouth like he has always longed for—but the confusion in Renjun’s face demands more words from him.

So Jaemin pulls it all out. “Remember when Jaehyun asked you to come study with us at Madam Puddifoot’s? It’s because… I told him I liked you, but you liked Jaehyun… so he’s just did his best as an older brother and tried to set us up together. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier—and I’m sorry that it was a mess.”

“What?” Renjun’s voice trembles when he speaks. He’s looking at him with such wide eyes, and Jaemin can’t bear to look away.

“You’ve liked me that long?” Renjun asks again.

Jaemin nods. “I’ve liked you for a _long_ time.” He clears his throat. “I’ve liked you since? Maybe the second year? I’ve never told anyone until recently.”

“Oh,” Renjun sighs. His expression softening, then a small smile tugs at the side of his lips. “Wow.”

Jaemin laughs with him, and takes the box next to him. “I wanted to come visit you this summer so that I can tell you that I like you, I couldn’t keep it in anymore. But you beat me to it. I even have this ready.”

Renjun accepts the box, unfurling the ribbon and looking at Jaemin suspiciously as he unboxes the gift. He takes the glass ball out of the box and raises a brow at Jaemin. “A… Remembrall?”

“No!” Jaemin gasps indignantly. “It’s… try whispering _luna_ to it.”

Renjun is suspicious but brings the glass ball close to his lips and whispers, “luna.”

The ball turns in Renjun’s palm, causing Renjun to pull it away from his face. A small light starts to pulsate in the middle of the ball, then it expands until the light fills up the entirety of the crystal.

“Wow,” Renjun gasps, bringing it closer to him to inspect it further, “you gave me the moon?”

Jaemin nods, smiles bashfully. “Yeah… I had to go with one of our house elves to get it from—”

Renjun surges forward, hand on Jaemin’s thigh as the other keeps the moon safe. He has his lips pressed against Jaemin’s in that one quick instant, and suddenly—everything feels so right.

It’s more than he’s imagined, more than he can ever dream of and more than he can ever wish for. He pulls Renjun closer, hand resting on the back of his neck as the other steadies him.

Kissing Renjun feels like a fever dream, like all the planets have aligned and everything is in perfect place for the universe to turn itself upside down. Like a cosmic event can happen at any time.

And it seems like it will.

Renjun pulls away, giggling—with a hand pressed against Jaemin’s chest. “I think…” Renjun whispers, looking at the moon in his hand, then at Jaemin.

Jaemin urges him. “Yeah?”

Renjun swallows hard, places the moon back in its box and cups Jaemin’s cheeks. Jaemin wraps his hands around Renjun’s wrist, holding him in place. “I think that I’m in love with you, too.”

Jaemin smiles, bursting at the seams with happiness. He leans forward to capture Renjun in a kiss again.

They end up kissing until the sun sets, until Renjun’s mother collects them for dinner.

It’s going to be the best summer vacation ever, and Jaemin can’t wait to spend it with Renjun.

“See? They’re totally dating. You owe me five galleons, Jisung.”

“What! We just got back to school. I’ve no money. No way they’re dating, I’m going to ask!”

“Ask then! And confirm you’re a loser.”

**Author's Note:**

> if u find grammatical errors or plot holes here... no u didnt <3


End file.
